Salerno - Home Of The Best Gelato Cake In Italy

What? Who gets to spend their 21st birthday in Italy? That's ridiculous! Nobody could be that lucky!

Well, I have no idea what I did to deserve it, but I got to do just that this weekend. To celebrate, my American friends and I experienced (and I do mean experienced) a real discoteca. We were a little out of our league, because I totally forgot to wear all black and 6 inch stilettos and everything. It was the kind of place with a very nice pool that you are absolutely not allowed to get in. And, it was a good thing that we wanted to dance, because we found out that only do you have to reserve a place to sit, but sitting down would have cost a whopping 150 euros. But there was a strobe light and they played Shakira. We had a blast.

The next day we spent a wonderful day in Agropoli at the beach. America just doesn't make beaches like this.

The other day, we were talking about how it is interesting how quickly we've started to feel at home here. We've been in Italy for two weeks, only two weeks, and already, walking everywhere in town and taking the train anywhere else seems completely normal. Fried pumpkin flowers are practically a standard side dish, and basically all coffee is espresso. Something I don't think I will ever get used to though, is the beauty I am surrounded by. I look out the window at school and see the Mediterranean and nearly every building seems like a work of art. From the ancient Greek temples we saw in Paestum this week

to a house we saw on the way there

(which had a peacock in the yard, by the way. It was in this tree. How cool is that? And, sorry for the grainy picture.)

to an apartment building in Salerno.

I have to say though, I had never thought about how fluffy towels are when they come out of the dryer, until I used one that dried on a clothesline. I know utilities are expensive here, but I really feel like Italians don't know what they're missing. A fluffy towel is everything in a cold bathroom. A dryer. It's the real American dream.

Lastly, since I'm in Italy, I will end with a list of the delicious things I've eaten lately.

1. Pasta with mussels

2. Grilled eggplant

3. Pizza with sausage, tomatoes, and ricotta cheese

4. Gelato cake (that is, ice cream cake, if you want to be so American as to call it that)

5. Every piece of bread that I pick up

And that was just the weekend. Grazie, Italia.